May-June 2011 - The Journey

4 Techniques for a
Fruitful Search
The search for fulfillment and
joy in this life can be tough. It often
feels like groping in treacherous
darkness. Here are some simple
suggestions to help you on your
journey.
1
Spend time each day focused
on what your ideal relationship
with the world would feel
like.
People tend to think they want
specific things. For example, you
may think you want a house in
the country with cathedral ceilings,
a lush garden, and a teacup
poodle. I would argue it’s not really
these things that you want. It’s the
ideal relationship with the world
– which those things represent to
you – that you want. You want a
relationship with the world that’s
rich with beauty and opportunities
to nurture. A relationship that’s
expansive (cathedral ceilings),
alive (lush garden), adorable and
adoring (teacup poodle).
Many teachers of the law of attraction
will suggest that you focus
on imagining having the specific
things that you want. I suggest
this, too, but only as an aid to
imagining and vividly experiencing
the feeling of what it would be like
for you to be in your ideal relationship
with the world.
Because let’s face it: The
things would be meaningless
without the relationship. There are
lots of people who have fabulous
houses and gardens and poodles
who are rotting with misery. Being
T h e Jo u r n e y
By Carolyn Elliott
surrounded by wondrous things
only feels good when those things
occur in the context of a rich relationship
with life.
What would it feel like if every
person you encountered knew you
as you wish to be known, honored
you as you wish to be honored,
helped you as you wished to be
helped? And what would it feel
like if all the unseen forces of the
universe were continually showering
you with gifts? Focus on this
feeling every day; discover it and
nurture it.
2Notice what beliefs or selfimages
you hold that argue
against the possibility of this
ideal relationship – and work to
release them.
The ver y act of imagining
yourself within your ideal relationship
with the world has the effect
of turning on the bright lights
within your spirit, so you can see
the shadows more starkly.
As soon as you begin to focus
on the feeling of that relationship,
you’ll notice parts of yourself
objecting – “that’s impossible,”
“that’s not how life works,” “that
could never happen for me.” Those
objections come from the conditioned
beliefs and self-images you
hold about yourself.
The process of releasing longheld
limiting beliefs and self-imag-
Ma y • Ju n e 2011
es is ongoing and multi-layered.
Great progress can be made
immediately on some important
layers, and some layers take years
to effectively budge. It’s important,
though, to accomplish this
work, because doing so clears
your perception so you can find
the way toward your best world
relationship.
In my experience, the most
effective way to work with these
doubts and false limitations is
through meditative inquiry, which
can be done alone or with a tutor.
3Discover what it is in your
life that argues against
your enjoying an ideal relationship
with the world, and make
changes accordingly.
Imagining what your best possible
relationship with the world
would feel like not only brings into
view your inner doubts and limiting
beliefs, it also can have the
effect of showing what elements
in your current life are out of tune
with the harmony you envision.
Once you begin focusing on
the ideal world relationship, you
may clearly realize that your
critical friend or your demanding
career don’t fit in with your best
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